More than half of queer men use gay dating apps. Online dating may not be for everybody, but if you’re struggling to find a man, a gay dating app could be the tool you need. So, which one should you install? You’ve got plenty of choices – so much so that it can be hard to narrow things down. Let us help you find the best gay dating app for your situation.
Ranking The Best Gay Dating Apps – Our Methodology
So, how did we find the top gay dating apps, and how did we rank them? Let’s talk about our methodology. Here are the steps we took to curate this ranked list of the top gay dating apps.
- Visited websites and downloaded apps for multiple dating sites
- Created profiles
- Browsed profiles and tested other features
- Read online consumer reviews
- Reviewed online policy documents
- Where available checked out dating app social media pages
- Built a list of dating apps for gay men
How Did We Decide Which Gay Dating Apps to Review?
We relied on the diverse and inclusive community in our offices to build a list of dating sites to consider. The primary consideration was that the app was available for use by gay men. That said, several apps here also welcome queer women, heterosexuals, and other identities.
Additionally, to be considered each app had to be available, at a minimum, across the United States. We excluded any regional apps. For the sake of user safety, we also excluded any gay dating app that didn’t meet the minimum requirements for privacy and security.
Did we Use The Paid or Free Version?
We used the free version of each dating app unless there was a free trial period available. Rest assured that we took steps to understand any paid features.
Why Didn’t You Connect With Other Users?
Let’s put it simply. How would you feel if you were contacted on a dating app by a person appearing to be interested in you, only to get ghosted because they were really writing a review? We didn’t want to catfish or mislead anybody, so we relied on the input of people who have used these gay dating apps.
1. Taimi.com – Designed From The Ground up For The Queer Community
After careful review of several apps that had amazing features, Taimi stands out as the best gay dating app. That should come as no surprise as this popular dating app was designed from the ground up with the unmet needs of the gay community in mind. As the team at Taimi states, this is a genuinely queer dating app. It was made for gay, bi, trans, and other people who don’t identify as cis-hetero.
Meanwhile, many gay dating apps are simply repurposed versions of straight apps with a few new filters and profile traits. Taimi also accommodates a wider array of attractions, relationship types, and dating goals than even other queer dating apps. This includes welcoming people who are exploring their sexuality or gender identity.
The Good Stuff
What makes this dating site worth checking out for gay men? There are several features we think will appeal to the LGBTQIA+ community.
First, Taimi allows you to complete the most complete, most robust, and most genuinely queer dating profile with a range of interests, gender identity options, and sexual preferences. Men can revisit their profiles after creating them to make any adjustments as they need to. For safety purposes, there is a photo verification process. This helps to stop people from creating fake profiles and limits bots too.
If you’ve ever been on a gay dating app that recommended any and every person in your area even if they weren’t compatible, you know how frustrating that can be. Taimi Finder is a feature that uses AI along with your stated preferences to help you find mutuals and make meaningful connections.
The Taimi dating platform works on any device. There’s even a desktop version available.
There are plenty of communication features and other options here for gay guys to enjoy.
Free Features
You can get started and browse profiles for free. Here are the other free features that Taimi offers:
- Create a detailed profile
- Browse profiles
- Message mutual connections
- Create media and text cards for self-expression
- Safety features
Premium Features
If you opt for a paid membership tier, there are some other features you can enjoy:
- Profile boost
- Rollback
- Video chat
- Rainbow likes
- Extended filters
- Send and request private cards
Things You Should Know
Taimi is a dating platform for gay men seeking meaningful connections with people who are compatible with them. It appeals to a wide range of ages, interests, and relationship goals. It can certainly be used as a hookup app, but also to find “the one”.
Are there any downsides? No online dating app makes every users happy. Some users report that the app can get a bit slow or glitchy. Also, the team is continually adding and improving features. This can lead to temporary frustration as members have to overcome a learning curve.
2. Scruff – If Grindr Turned Serious
Like Grindr, Scruff is an online dating site that is geared towards gay men. The difference is that the focus here is more on making meaningful connections than appealing to hookup culture. This dating site welcomes bi, queer, and trans guys too, but the userbase is primarily gay men who are mostly interested in long term relationships.
The Good Stuff
Scruff is user friendly and as an excellent selection of both free and premium tier features. It’s easy to create an online dating profile and get started. The app has reasonable verification processes and safety features that make it a welcoming spot for gay men who are interested in making meaningful connections. Additionally, while the app is primarily targeted at users in the United States, it does have a global presence, offering multiple language selections.
Free Features
It’s definitely possible to use the free version of Scruff to make connections that lead to serious relationships. Here are the options available to men who want just the basic features.
- Creating a user profile
- Using the site without a profile
- Viewing Profiles
- Messaging
Premium Features
The most premium features on Scruff are related to searching for connections. They include:
- Ad free browsing
- Unlimited private photo sharing
- Anonymous browsing
- View up to 1K men nearby
- Advanced search and filters
- Advanced results sort
Things You Should Know
If you used Scruff in the past, you may have experienced it as an app for casual encounters and hookups. The dating site has a unique feature that allows members to join different communities during the signup process. These include military, leather, poz, discreet, twink, and bisexual.
3. Grindr – Unlimited Choices And Reach
No list of best dating apps is going to be complete without Grindr. The app may not be ideal, but it’s among the most popular dating sites for gay men for good reason. Just in terms of reach, Grindr is an excellent tool for finding single and available gays nearby.
Simply put, Grindr is professionally designed, works well, and has an amazing reach. Men use Grindr because it’s an effective way to reach out to other gay men for dates and hookups.
The Good Stuff
There are plenty good things to say about Grindr. It’s a great site for men who want to hook up with men no matter where they are. If you’d like to make genuine connections quickly, this is one of the top dating sites for queer men.
Things You Should Know
As good as Grindr is, it isn’t perfect. First, it hasn’t always been the safest or most inclusive lgbtq community app. There have also been issues with fake profiles. People who using large dating platforms like this should be aware and know that they should verify who they are engaging with before private messaging or sharing personal information. Finally, be aware that your subscription automatically renews if you use the paid version.
Features on The Free Version
You can engage with other members for free when you use Grindr. Here are some of the free features available to you:
- Profile creation
- 100 matches
- Basic filtering
- Scroll profiles
- Messaging
- Join 1 tribe
Paid Grindr Unlimited Features
Some features are limited to people who opt for paid subscription preferences. Here are some of the features you can use if you have Grindr unlimited or other premium membership:
- Incognito browsing
- View unlimited profiles
- Send expiring photos
- Language translation in chat
- Unsend messages and pictures
4. Sniffies – For Casual Encounters
Sniffies is a niche platform for gay, bi, and trans men who are into cruising culture. The user base of Sniffies uses a map-based interface to find people nearby who are interested in casual, no strings attached, sexual encounters.
Sniffies is sex positive and is made for people who want turn online interactions into meetups quickly. This is one of the few apps that allows profile photos depicting nudity. Users can also take part in local events and join groups of like-minded men.
The Good Stuff
Sniffies is simply a very basic, but very effective app for men in the queer community to meet and have sex with other guys. It’s got an easy, intuitive user interface, and just lets guys get down to doing what they are there to do.
Things You Should Know
Obviously, if you are in search of a serious relationship, this app isn’t for you. Still, if you are open minded this is a great place to find potential matches for some sexual fun. Additionally, the app has a geolocation feature to make those nearby connections and find compatible partners in your area. Since Sniffies is a social app that doesn’t censor nude photos, you can’t get it on the app store or Google Play.
Features on The Free Version
If you use the free version, here are the features that are available to you:
- Create a profile
- Use any photos including nudes
- Check out men in your area
- Send messages
Paid Features
If you are interested in using the paid version of Sniffies, you will have access to these features as you try to find potential matches:
- Advanced Filters
- Unlimited Map Views
- Send Unlimited Photos And Messages
- Browse in Incognito Mode
- No intrusive from advertising or marketing partners
- See who looked at your profile
5. Archer – For Serious Relationships
In a way, Archer is the antithesis of Sniffies. The app was made for gay members of the LGBTQ community who are interested in serious relationships. Archer is also marketed as an inclusive, social first app with an emphasis on sexual health and safety. Technically, the app is available for the whole LGBTQ community, but is essentially made for gay men looking for genuine conversations and connections.
The Good Stuff
This is a welcoming app that’s user friendly. The community guidelines are clear, and the sign up process is easy to navigate. The user base here is fairly diverse. However, when it comes to sexual orientation, it’s mostly gay men who are interested in changing their relationship status to taken.
All user profiles are verified on Archer. Users can upload multiple photos with their primary image being used as their avatar. Anyone member of the user base who wants to keep things PG can choose to blur photos if they prefer.
Things You Should Know
While the app is friendly and community guidelines protect this diverse community, customer support is fairly limited.
More Features
Anyone using Archer should look at Google Play or App Store account settings to verify, but Archer is currently entirely free. Of course, this usually includes third party advertising. Still, users can access the following features free:
- Profile tools
- Safety and health hub
- Messaging
6. Tinder – The Biggest Dating Pool
Tinder isn’t specifically for the LGBTQ community, but it’s definitely available for queer folks including gay men. Whether you use the app or the desktop version, this is a handy general purpose dating app that has virtually unlimited accounts and features like video chat. If you are genuinely looking to cast a wide net Tinder is definitely an option to consider.
The Good Stuff
This is a big app that casts a wide net. So, you are pretty much guaranteed to find connections in your area. Tinder is user-friendly, safe, and has great customer support. Despite not being designed for the LGBTQ community, both the app and desktop version allow members to browse profiles that meet their needs.
Things You Should Know
Although you can use available features to find people of your preferred gender identity and sexual orientation, these filters aren’t perfect. Sometimes you will catch a straight profile among your recommendations.
Free Features
Here are the features you can enjoy if you use the free version of Tinder:
- Create profile with pics and bio
- Send messages on matches
- See who like you
- Limited swipe right
Paid Features
You can use Tinder Plus or Tinder Gold to get some additional perks. Check Google play or App Store account settings for renewal and price information:
- Profile boost
- Unlimited swipes
- See who likes you
- Monthly location update
- Super likes
- Unlimited messaging
7. Jack’d – Bipoc Friendly
Jack’d was developed at Cornell university for queer men. Over time, the app has evolved to mostly appeal to gay BIPOC men. This is a location-based app that’s designed for both hookup culture and long term relationships.
The Good Stuff
There simply aren’t many gay dating apps that prioritize people of color. It’s good to have something meeting a need that other dating apps don’t. In addition to being inclusive, Jack’d is user friendly and has good customer service.
Things You Should Know
There are a few negatives here. The app can be a bit glitchy. Also, the verification process is not as robust as it could be.
Free Features
There are a lot of free features here. You can enjoy:
- View and chat locally and globally
- Share private photos
- Favorite guys you like
- See up to 200 guys nearby
- Use search filters
- Browse the grid
Paid Jack’d Features
If you’d like to pay, you can dig into even more perks:
- No ads
- Unlimited connections
- Anonymous browsing
- See up to 500 guys nearby
- Check out who viewed your profile
- View more details
Final: Taimi Leads as The Best Inclusive Gay Dating App
If you’re a gay man open to online dating, this is a great time to be alive. You have plenty of choices from traditional dating apps that are now open to queer users, and sites that have been developed just for you. After weighing each possibility, there’s just no denying that Taimi stands out as the biggest hit of all. This diverse, sex-positive app is an ideal choice no matter your relationship goals or where you are in your journey.
